Fuse removal tool

ABSTRACT

A tool for removing fuses from an electrical control box which includes a handle and a socket, the socket being sized to nest in snug engagement about the head of a fuse and liner means within the socket of friction-producing material in response to an axial pressure of the tool directed towards the fuse so that the tool may be employed to remove the fuse by rotating the tool about its longitudinal axis.

United States Patent Wilson [451 July 25, 1972 FUSE REMOVAL TOOL [72] Inventor: George E. Wilson, 1125 NW. l43rd Street, Miami, Fla. 33168 [22] Filed: Feb. 24, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 13,687

..81/64,81/121R ..B25b13/52,B25b 13/06 ..8l/3.4, 3.43, 121, 64

[ 5 2] U.S. Cl. [51] Int. Cl. [58] Field of Search [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,985,045 5/1961 Grasty et a1 ..8l/3.4 1,615,196 l/1927 Lilva ..8l/3.4X

3,238,822 3/1966 Zuracki ..8l/3.8 2,811,631 10/1957 Wood.... .81/l21.l X 3,473,423 10/1969 Peck 81/64 Primary Examiner.lames L. Jones, Jr. Attorney-John Cyril Malloy 5 7] ABSTRACT A tool for removing fuses from an electrical control boil which includes a handle and a socket, the socket being sized to nest in snug engagement about the head of a fuse and liner means within the socket of friction-producing material in response to an axial pressure of the tool directed towards the fuse so that the tool may be employed to remove the fuse by rotating the too] about its longitudinal axis.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures FUSE REMOVAL TOOL In the past, as is perhaps well known, it is quite often that fuses are difficult to remove from fuse boxes, and, in fact, many of the calls to the electrical power companies are because of the problems occasioned by attempts of homeowners to remove fuses from fuse boxes. Often, it is dangerous to remove such fuses because with age they become securely fixed in position, and if one is not careful in removing such a fuse it is possible to receive a serious shock; also, conventional metal tools are not adapted or safe for use with electrical apparatus.

The present invention provides a simple, inexpensive, economical, and readily manufactured fuse removing tool of insulation material which is adapted by means of a socket sized to receive the end face of a fuse to rotate the fuse and by retrograde threaded movement remove it from an electrical panel, the said socket including friction-producing means arranged within the socket which are preferably of a corrugated pattern including high and low areas adapted to be deformed by the application of an axially directed pressure of the tool toward the fuse. It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an inexpensive tool for use by homeowners in removing fuses from such electrical panels.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fuse removing tool in accordance with the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view which has been partly broken away and illustrating the tool of FIG. 1 in operative relation with respect to a fuse to be removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating the nesting of the fuse head within the working end of the fuse removal tool;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 and illustrating an alternative embodiment of the tool of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view in cross section taken along the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts throughout the various views, the tool is generally designated by the numeral 12 in FIG 1, the tool having a working end 14 and a handle end 16, the latter end preferably being provided with a tapered end 18 with a lateral through hole 20 for receiving a hanging string or the like. In the preferred embodiment, the handle end 16 is provided with lands and grooves indicated by the numeral 22 to provide gripping means generally indicated by the numeral 24 for applying torque to rotate the tool about the longitudinal axis 26. The working end 14 comprises a body 28 having in the distal end face 30 a recess 32 and preferably liner means for the recess as indicated by the numeral 34, the said recess and liner means defining a cup-shaped socket 36 which is sized and adapted to receive the peripheral side surface 38 of the head 40 of a conventional fuse 42 in screw threaded engagement with an electrical control box 44 conventionally found in homes. With continuing reference to FIG. 2, it is seen that the innermost lateral surface of the cup-shaped fuse-receiving recess or floor of that recess 46 is defined by a deformed pattern of high and low areas, the said surface being in a preferred embodiment corrugated with the elevated portions terminating in apexes 48 with recessed troughs 50 on opposite sides thereof, as indicated in FIG. 4. The liner 34 is preferably of a yieldable, rubbery material so that, as indicated in FIG. 3, when the tool is arranged in coaxial relation with the centerline 52 of the fuse, the cup-shaped recess is adapted to receive the head 40 of the fuse 42 with the side surface 38 being snugly embraced by the side walls 54 of the cup-shaped recess. An axially directed pressure is applied sufficient to slightly deform the gripping means 46; that is, to cause the apex-like teeth 48 to frictionally engage the exterior end face 58 of the fuse 42 so that on continued application of the axially directed force and the application of a torque about the axis 36 the fuse is adapted to dle are preferably of a non-conductive insulation material, such as a rubber material or plastic. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the insert 60 is provided with the gripping means indicated bY the numeral 46 only on the floor of the recess; however, in the more preferred embodiment, the same material may be employed to line the walls leading to the terminal end to the working end of the too].

Also, as indicated by the numeral 62 in the drawing of FIG I, the tool may be provided with a magnet secured as by adhesive to the exterior of the tool for use in attaching it to a fuse box to be conveniently handy for a homeowner. Preferably, the magnet is embeded into the surface of the tool so that the exterior surface is flush.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand held tool of electrical insulating material for use in removing fuses from a threaded receptacle comprising:

a one-piece body having an elongate handle with a distal end,

a working end of a cross sectional area larger than that of a conventional head face, and

a tapered intermediate zone between the handle and working end;

said body including gripping means comprising a pattern in relief on said handle composed of longitudinally extending lands and grooves for use in rotating said tool about the longitudinal axis thereof; said working end having an axial face and an axially extending recess in said axial face sized to snugly and frictionally nest about the head of a conventionally sized fuse. and

deformable friction means secured in said recess to engage the end face of a fuse when axial force is applied on the tool toward a fuse threadably received in a socket with the head of the fuse nested within the recess and torque is applied to the tool about its longitudinal axis;

said friction means comprising a liner of deformable rubbery insulation material having an axially facing pattern in relief including high and low areas tapering from the low areas to the high areas, the high areas being adapted to be deformed on pressing engagement with the end face of a fuse; and

mounting means to removably locate the tool at a fuse box location comprising a magnet having a surface exposed to attach to a metal box.

i =l i be removed. The rubbery material and the han- 

1. A hand held tool of electrical insulating material for use in removing fuses from a threaded receptacle comprising: a one-piece body having an elongate handle with a distal end, a working end of a cross sectional area larger than that of a conventional head face, and a tapered intermediate zone between the handle and working end; said body including gripping means comprising a pattern in relief on said handle composed of longitudinally extending lands and grooves for use in rotating said tool about the longitudinal axis thereof; said working end having an axial face and an axially extending recess in said axial face sized to snugly and frictionally nest about the head of a conventionally sized fuse, and deformable friction means secured in said recess to engage the end face of a fuse when axial force is applied on the tool toward a fuse threadably received in a socket with the head of the fuse nested within the recess and torque is applied to the tool about its longitudinal axis; said friction means comprising a liner of deformable rubbery insulation material having an axially facing pattern in relief including high and low areas tapering from the low areas to the high areas, the high areas being adapted to be deformed on pressing engagement with the end face of a fuse; and mounting means to removably locate the tool at a fuse box location comprising a magnet having a surface exposed to attach to a metal box. 